Nestlé USA Joins SFPA to Support Enactment of the Equality Act

The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA) supports H.R. 5 and S. 788, the Equality Act. SFPA founding member companies Nestlé USA, Danone North America, Mars Incorporated, and Unilever United States believe enactment of the Equality Act is a strong step forward towards ensuring that all people, in all settings, are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect.

As member companies of the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance (SFPA), we are writing to express our
strong support for H.R. 5 and S. 788, the Equality Act. We believe that providing the same basic
protections to LGBTQ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law is the right
thing to do – for businesses and for society.

SFPA founding member companies Danone North America, Mars Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and
Unilever United States know that our people are the force behind our success. We seek to build an
inclusive workforce that offers opportunity to people of all backgrounds and identities, and allows them to
support themselves and their families and to contribute to the health, strength, and resilience of their
communities, which benefits businesses of all sizes and local economies.

As a core part of our business principles, we firmly believe that all people are equal and that every person
deserves to be treated with respect, dignity, and fairness, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, age, national origin, disability, and
military or veteran status. These principles guide the way we work, run our businesses, and engage with
communities, and they contribute to our strength as we continually evolve alongside our consumers.
SFPA encourages all institutions – companies, governments, and societies – to act similarly by embracing
diversity, practicing acceptance, and respecting each person as an individual.

Policies that discriminate against LGBTQ individuals have a harmful impact on business operations and
the ability of businesses to recruit and retain talent. Such policies are also increasingly out of step with the
views of a growing number of American consumers. The enactment of the Equality Act would protect
LGBTQ workers against discrimination not only at their jobs, but in their ability to access housing, credit,
education, and federally-funded programs in the communities where they live and where our companies
conduct business.

We respectfully urge you to enact the Equality Act and take this strong step forward towards ensuring that
all people, in all settings, are treated with fairness, dignity, and respect. We believe this is the right thing
to do for those communities, and for the country – for a stronger today and for a shared future that allows
all Americans to contribute fully and equally.

The Sustainable Food Policy Alliance seeks to accelerate the pace of change in the food industry through individual company leadership and collective support for public policies that raise the bar and inspire further action in this critical journey. As some of the world’s best-known food companies, founding members Danone North America, Mars, Incorporated, Nestlé USA, and Unilever United States recognize our responsibility to drive positive change for the people who use our products, the people who supply them, and the planet on which we all rely. To learn more about the Sustainable Food Policy Alliance, visit www.foodpolicyalliance.org.